The Art of Romance
by Seraphic Melody
Summary: For one to master the art of romance, one must go about things slowly and patiently. -various-
1. o1 Infatuation

**||The Art of R****o****mance||**

**{.o1} ****{Infatuation :****ღ:**** Ace}**

___Infatuation: to inspire or possess with a foolish or unreasoning passion, as of love; to affect with folly; make foolish or fatuous._**  
**

The sound of light snoring echoed in the darkness, reverberating in the tiny tent. The young faceless girl slowly turned her head towards the red knight, watching him sleep soundlessly on his side.

How in the world did she get into this awkward position? How did she end up going around with Ace? She herself wasn't sure how this all began.

Lazily attempting once again to fall asleep, her subconscious whispered the answer.

It all started with a chicken.

Vivaldi had sent her to tend to their wide assortment of animals, chickens to be exact. Why would a queen keep a whole coop of chickens, the young maid could not understand. The task itself wasn't exactly very exciting, but it was fairly easy so she couldn't complain.

Once the young maid walked inside the chicken coop, she was greeted by the resonant sound of clucks and squawks. Some of the hens sat imperiously over their straw perches, fluffing their white feathers and nestlings themselves over their fragile eggs. Roosters trotted sporadically around the vicinity, heads darting in all sorts of directions.

With a low sigh, the maid already busied herself, scattering feed around to the scrambling chickens. This was how she thought she was going to spend the rest of her day, doing something so boringly mundane.

Little did she know that surprises surfaced when one least expected them.

Like right now and right above them.

_Crack!_

"Whoa!"

The maid felt a weight suddenly appear over her, pinning her down onto the ground. With a groggy moan, she struggled to recover her wits and clear her hazy vision.

Everything seemed to become clear when she stared into a pair of startling crimson.

If she had eyes, she would have blinked them.

"A... Ace?"

The knight recollected himself and his lip upturned into its usual cheerful grin. "Oh, hi there! Thanks for softening my fall!"

Rage percolated through her veins, flushing her cheeks a color analogous to her uniform. "Please get off of me, Ace."

"Jeez... A testy maid. Temper, temper!"

"How about this? Get off me now or else I smack you in the face!"

Ace then finally took the hint. With a grin still on his lips, he gracefully eased himself up, wiping his red overcoat of chicken-related debris.

The maid slowly rose to her own feet, scowling at the knight. "Thanks for helping me up!"

"You're welcome!" Ace answered cheerfully, inciting a loud groan.

Out of all those cycles she worked here, she learned to absolutely abhor Ace. She just couldn't seem to stand being near him.

"Well, I was fixing the roof when it suddenly gave way! It's harder than I thought..."

"Then why don't you get back up? Roofs don't fix themselves."

"...you're right! See you!" With that, Ace dashed back outside, leaving the girl to her own devices.

'_Good riddence!_' The next few moments continued in relative silence. With chickens properly fed and the eggs collected, the maid rushed out the door, she kept her eyes forward, refusing to acknowledge the knight's presence. She didn't care if she offended him by not offering him a proper goodbye. He could fall through the roof again and she wouldn't care one bit!

_Crash!_

The maid suddenly froze, a cold sensation creeping up the length of her spine at the familiar noise. '_Don't turn around. Don't turn around._'

But the urge was irresistible. She couldn't help, but look back.

A sense of dread slowed her ticking heart when she didn't see even a vestige of the Heart Knight. What happened if he fell through the roof again?

'_What happens if Ace fell and landed on the chickens? Vivaldi would have my head if anything happened to them!_'

She carefully placed the eggs onto the ground and dashed back inside.

"Ace, what happened? You better not have used the hens to cushion your fall!" She fell completely silent, finding herself just staring at the sight before her.

The brown-haired male lay prostrate on the floor, his expression dazed and confused. Sitting atop his straw infested hair was a white chicken, irritated pecking his head.

The maid tentatively plucked the hen off his head and asked again, "Ace?"

"Oh, hey there! Fancy seeing you here still," replied Ace, agonizingly lifting his sore body off the ground. "Jeez... This will be the last time I fix the roof... It's so dangerous!"

"It's because you're so careless! You could have killed the chickens!" chastised the maid. Her gaze then was attracted to a curious white object on his head. Maybe it was her imagination, but was it...?

Gently massaging his sore muscles, he inquired, "Hey? What's the matter? What's on my head?"

"Don't move." Ace complied, gawking at her with palpable confusion. Then something rustled in his hair, followed by a low cracking noise.

"Hey, what was that?"

The maid promptly shushed him, watching in fervent anticipation as the egg tottered and cracked. Soon it finally broke apart. Underneath the eggshell debris, a fluffy, yellow object emerged, peeking its head out and gazing at the world around them.

"Cheep! Cheep!"

Ace carefully plucked the chick out of his hair and placed it onto his hand. "Hey, look! I'm a father!"

She couldn't hold it in no longer. She broke out into a fitful burst of laughter.

"Hey what's so funny? I don't get it."

"You looked _ridiculous_ with that thing on your head!" she answered, unwittingly falling over the floor.

"Hey, you're just jealous I'm a father!"

"More like a mother to me!" At this statement, Ace couldn't help but laugh as well.

At such a glorious sound, the girl slowly stopped laughing, feeling her heart tick a little faster and butterflies to flutter in her stomach.

"Hey, you're much cooler than I thought! Why not you join me for an errand outside the castle? You look like you could use some time out of the castle."

She hesitated for a singular moment, unsure how she should answer. After all, joining a directionally challenged knight? Was she a fool?

Then again, at that moment, even the most sensible thought didn't make any sense to her.

At that moment, she thought he wasn't as annoying as she once thought. She found herself wanting to learn more about him, understand that incomprehensible man, share this laughter and see that smile again.

Whether she knew it or not, that was the moment when Ace had captured her heart.

With a slight flush to her face, the infatuated maid uttered a single word.

**

* * *

A/N Notes:** Jeez, you guys wanted it? FINE. Now you got it! My new drabble series… though I failed the drabble part. Now it's more of a oneshot series since this especially just one is so long. –sigh-

But so you guys know, some of these will be sequels or prequels to existing oneshots and drabbles; some will stand alone by themselves. It was whatever I felt inspired to do. :3

So this is a prequel to my drabble series Wonders of the Heart, more specifically the Lost drabble.

Thanks for reading! Reviews would be lovely.

(New poll's up so vote if you could be so kind.)


	2. o2 Hope

**{.o2} {Hope :**** ღ****: Peter White}**

"One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three..."

Three simple numbers were counted out in repetitive succession as two figures twirled on the dance floor. One of them was a simple soldier, holding his faceless dance partner at a respectable arms-distance away.

Peter White stood off to the side, eyes narrowed as he analyzed their movements, the slightest shift in arms and the precise footwork.

Only one maid stood off beside, bestowed the task to help explain these steps and the rabbit image train for the upcoming ball.

It surprised the maid and her faceless companions when the Prime Minister requested them to help him learn how to dance. All three were clearly aware of his disinclinations to come into contact with any other germ-infected creature and usually ignored his escort for the entirety of the ball.

The little maid was harshly reminded herself that was before Alice arrived to Wonderland.

Dismissing the tightness of her throat, the demure girl spoke up quietly, reminding, "Remember you are the leader in this dance. You have to guide your partner through the three bars of music. You perform the choreography and timing of movement. Your partner trusts you and follows your movements without question. Understand?"

Peter answered with a slight nod of his head, crouching down to analyze the footwork. It all started on the first beat: forward right foot, side left, right foot closes to left foot and changes weight then a one-quarter turn.

The two dancers paused for a one moment, their breaths heavy and erratic. "L... Lord White... We will be taking a break. We'll continue your lesson after we get some water, is that alright?"

Peter didn't respond, rising to his feet and swiping his pants clean. The two Heart servants took his silence as approval and quickly headed out of the doorway.

That had left the two figures alone, both captured by an unyielding silence. The maid glanced over, watching as Peter slowly shuffled his feet, humming quietly to himself. His arms were held out into open air, grasping an invisible dance partner, one that he dreamed of dancing with at the ball... if he could learn how to dance properly.

"Right forward, side right... No, no. Side left, then turn? No that's not it!" Peter groaned in frustration, furiously moving his feet and adjusting his glasses to the bridge of his nose.

The maid stood helplessly to the side, fighting this urgent need to help him. It hurt her heart to know that she couldn't touch him or help him personally. He would much rather shoot her dead then be infected by her germs.

She just couldn't stand this frustrated look on his face, the growing sense of despair ravaging his ruby eyes. He had this one wish, this one hope that she tried not to let harm her poor heart.

He just hoped to dance with the one he loves - Alice.

The young maid silently sat herself down into the chair, unsure how much more she could be of assistance. Then she noticed something was seated right beside her. The faceless girl regarded the curious object, staring straight into its synthetic green eyes. It was an oversized Teddy bear, its fur a fuzzy, pristine brown. She then absently recalled how Ace had previously walked in here. He had informed her that he found curious animal lying abandoned in the halls and left down it with them. She didn't mind, but did find the discovery rather odd.

Soon an idea struck. She glanced over to the struggling Prime Minister then to the giant bear.

Without thinking the young maid stood up and raised the bear directly in the his face. The White Rabbit immediately leapt back, disgust evident on his face. "J... Just what is that?"

"You're new dance partner," she replied glibly. "It seemed you were having a bit of trouble so I thought it would help if you had something there to help you practice."

"There is no way I will be dancing with such a disgusting animal. I don't even know where it's been," refuted Peter, taking a step away from the bear. "I'll do just fine without it."

"Oh... Alright. I just thought you wanted to dance with Alice. Pretending this bear was her would make good practice," the maid said airily, slowly pulling the bear to her chest. "Alright, I guess you'll be able to admire her from afar, wondering what could have been while she dances with the other men..."

"Give me that." The maid felt the bear roughly escape her hands. Peter held the oversized animal at arm's distance, nose crinkling in mild distaste. "Alright. What now?"

"Well you can't dance holding it like that. Imagine it's Alice. Hold the bear like you would hold her." The maid took hold of the animal's waist as he adjusted his hands to it's stuffed paw and upper body. "Now dance. Forward right, side left."

The rabbit obeyed, performing the movements awkwardly and hesitantly. The young maid did not waver. She followed his steps without any question, offering instruction when the time called for it.

Soon the pace picked up, his movements more fluid and smooth. He twirled her and the bear with more gusto and confidence. Before they knew it, they were dancing.

"H... Hey. I think I'm actually getting it!" Peter said joyously, feeling a wide smile rise at the corners of his lips.

The maid released the bear, allowing him to dance to his heart's content, allow him to fall into his lovely little fantasy.

Despite the ache in her clock heart, she smiled as well. '_That's probably as close I will ever get to him..._'

Deep within her heart was a secret, a unspoken hope that she dreamed of coming true.

She dreamed of Peter of looking at her the same way he does Alice, hoped of dancing with him as he hoped to dance with Alice.

But this was enough for her.

'_Alice sure is a lucky girl,_' she thought absently, watching as hearts glowed in his bright red eyes, a euphoric pink flush splatter against his cheeks.

Little did either of them realize that such euphoria would be short-lived.

Before either of them could react, a hand smacked Peter right across the face, knocking him down to the ground.

"How dare you take this from Us," Vivaldi growled, hugging the bear close to her chest. "That would teach you, you despicable hare! You are lucky that nothing was wrong with this. If there was so much as a smudge, We would make sure We get your head!"

With a loud harrumph, Vivaldi stormed out of the room with her bear in hand.

* * *

I don't know why, but abusing Peter is so much fun. It makes me feel like a little sadist that I couldn't resist writing the ending. Well I decided to post some drabbles to cure my lack of writing activity. Not much, but it's something. :3

By the way this is another sequel to Wonders of the Heart: the Anything drabble.

Anyways, thanks for reading!


	3. o3 Comfort

**{.o3} {Comfort :**** ღ****: Julius Monrey}**

She always was so completely fascinated by Julius and his role. She loved watching him fix each clock, viewing it as some sort of beautiful magic that occurred before her. The ticking sound always succeeded in comforting her during her times of greatest internal strife, when she had the most turmoil in her heart.

That was until now.

Now should couldn't even bear to stand it.

Her breath was erratic as she stood out in the middle of the hall, trying her hardest to calm herself down. Her heavy heart ticked in slow, painful speed, feeling like a cumbersome, heavy weight in her chest.

She just couldn't bare to watch Julius fix this one clock. It was almost impossible... at least, without her breaking down into tears.

Soon she raised her head when Julius exited his office, his stolid blue eyes locking onto her completely nonexistent ones.

"It's done."

The faceless girl nodded her head and dropped her gaze, holding her shivering body tightly in her arms. This was all far too much for her... to see someone she cared die? Then have their clock repaired and know they will never be the same once it was fixed?

The faceless girl thought if she had eyes, they would be stinging right now.

She sniffled once, leaning her body against the wall to keep her standing. All remained completely silent.

"...You know you can leave." The girl froze in her place, processing the breadth of his words in her distraught mind. "If you're so discomfited by my presence, you can leave. I won't hold it against you if you hate me now."

"No! I could never hate you, much less leave!" she cried vehemently, snapping her head up to meet his gaze. "That was just part of your role. I cant possibly hate you for something you have no control over. It's not like I can leave when the only person I have now is..."

Her voice suddenly cracked; a low whimper escaped her throat. Without thinking, she flung herself into Julius's arms, trying her hardest not to cry.

At the moment, she didn't care if he did not reciprocate her feelings, if he even minded her being in such proximity to him. She just wanted to pretend for that moment, that she truly meant something to him. She just wanted to be near someone else before she completely broke down inside.

Little did she expect a pair of arms to gradually embrace her.

All of a sudden her body relaxed. Just having him hold her (no matter how hesitant and awkward) and knowing in his own silent way that he truly was there, was enough to comfort her, help relieve her of a fraction of the pain in her heart.

As long as Julius was there, she thought she would be just fine.

* * *

Eehh, I liked the idea in my head. Curse you drabble for twisting it into something else! Huzzah for two updates in one day. xD

Thanks for the read!


	4. o4 Kiss

**{.o4} {Kiss :**** ღ****: Blood Dupre}**

'_They were caught in this impasse, taken prisoner by the most destructive force in this universe - lust. Both figures had sought to keep their distance from each other, from succumbing to this sensation that threatened to swallow them whole._

_Now there was no escaping it. Underneath the curse of the silver moonlight, they realized they were trapped, caught under its spell, this visceral sensation awakening within them._

_They both remained very still. Only a single breath of space separated them._

_They both wanted to deny it, this want, this desire, this very need._

_Now there was no denying it any longer._

_The young man gently cupped the face, his bright eyes locking onto hers, searching for a single moment of indecision, something that would properly snap himself out of it._

_His thumb traced the smooth curve if her cheek and down to her full lips._

_Their fates were sealed. Now was the time to surrender._

_The girl waited at bated breath when he slowly leant forward to bestow a gentle..._'

Suddenly, before the expectant maid could finish the lines of her romance novel, she heard the knob move. She suppressed a loud squeak and dashed behind the desk, hoping it was a sufficient hiding spot. She struggled to keep her breath silent, calm the erratic ticking of her clock heart.

She prayed it wasn't Blood Dupre. He would kill her if he found her in his office, simply sitting there and reading. When he was gone on his business trip, she would always sneak into his office and read.

He wasn't supposed to be back so soon... '_And he has to return when I was getting to the good part!_' she scowled mentally, holding the novel in her hands, her finger reluctantly bending the corner of the page to act as her bookmark.

Perhaps it was Elliot March, the twins, or even a servant! There was still a chance she would be safe.

"...May I ask what are you doing down there, miss?"

She cursed under her breath, locking eyes with the mafia man himself - Blood Dupre. His brow was arched in question, regarding her crouched form with curiosity.

She lacked air to breath, unable to move her lips to form a coherent response.

'_Oh no... I'm screwed.'_

Blood then glanced to see the book she held tightly against her chest. His lips curved into a wide smile.

"Ah... so _you_ are the little bird that flies to my bookcase in my absence. I certainly commend you on your earlier selections. You have an excellent taste in novels." Her cheeks suddenly felt like they were burning, shocked that her flights to his bookshelf weren't as inconspicuous as she wanted them to be. "But this... you really are reading this? I have far more interesting romance novels than this. The male protagonist truly irritates me."

"W... Why?" she ventured asking.

She then fell utterly still when she felt a gloved hand cradle her face. She remained breathlessly still when she felt the silky fabric trace the smooth curve of her cheek before touching her lips.

He suddenly meant forward, Blood's hot breath wafting over her cool face as he whispered, "Unlike him, if I truly want something, I won't hesitate to take it."

The maid knew, at the moment, she should leave, push him away while she still could.

Now she found herself trapped, his body over hers like a cage. She was taken prisoner by the most destructive force - lust.

Now there was no escaping it.

The maid lost all of her senses when Blood kissed her firmly on the mouth.

* * *

I rather liked how this turned out. So far, out of the few I wrote, I like this one the best (though it may change once I write a drabble that I just outlined later on).

On a random note, I'm surprised how fast I'm finishing these. Man, I miss these moments of free time... which will probably end once Monday comes back along.

Thanks for reading~


	5. o5 Endearing

**{.o5} {Endearing :****ღ****: Tweedle Dum}**

Working as the Hatter's top financer was an incredibly exhausting occupation. She was constantly deluged with an incredible amount of numbers to crunch – their current assets, the numerous financial transactions between the territories, and most importantly salaries.

She was certainly competent and unafraid to do what she felt was completely necessary, even if it meant cutting some employee's salaries. She rarely got any complaints for such a thing, mostly because she tended to have an intimidating presence. No one would dare subject themselves to her wrath.

Though, to her annoyance, there was still that one that tried to whine about it anyway.

"Come on! This is ridiculous!" Tweedle Dum cried, rushing into her office with the look of blatant annoyance. "Really, _another_ salary cut? This is the second one already!"

The faceless woman remained perfectly impassive as she continued calculating their current profit, not even looking up to meet the furious child's gaze. She had grown far too used to the boy's appearance, and, in fact, had grown to expect it. "I'm sorry if you are displeased with your current paycheck, Dum. Just like the last one, it needed to be done. Cutting you and your brother's salary seemed to be the most beneficial to us financially."

"But why must it be ours? Why can't you cut someone else's salary… like newbie-hare's paycheck! It's not like he does very much!" Dum insisted.

"Sir Elliot deserves the salary he gets now and possibly more if Master Dupre allowed it. It's not like either of you work. You both just play around," she argued glibly. Then for a moment she raised her faceless gaze to meet his, a crooked smile curving her lips. "Besides, you both are just kids, whether you are in your adult forms or not. It's not like you need more money anyway."

"But we are adults! **WE ARE! WE ARE! WE ARE!**" Dum cried adamantly, stomping his feet and throwing a rather irate tantrum. Seeing he was contradicting himself and acting more childishly, he promptly shut his mouth and crossed his arms over his chest, his cheeks slowly matching the color of his eyes – a bright red.

Such a display only caused the Hatter financer to laugh.

In normal situations, she would have found such behavior rather irritating. She always had very little patience in dealing with other people's complaints, especially the twins. She would have wasted no time in kicking them both out. She was always immune to their puppy dog eyes and their childish, cuter means of persuasion. She normally wouldn't be affected by such a sight, especially when he was in his child form.

That was why she always thought that their adult form was her weakness. Whenever the adult Dum came to her office, persuade her into changing their salary with his touch and kiss, her resolution slowly began to waver and slowly crumble down at such pleasurable manipulation.

Perhaps, her weakness was not their adult form. Maybe it was just Dum.

Deep down, though she rather chose to deny it, she always thought of Dum as rather endearing. Even now she felt resolve over their salary begin to waver as she stared at that cute face. It only made it harder for her to continue saying no. She always swore he knew he had this effect on her; that was why she always saw him rather than his blue-garbed brother. He knew exactly what to do just to manipulate her into doing what he wants sooner or later.

The faceless woman now only laughed at herself at such a realization.

She then rose to her feet and stood by the pouting boy's side. Dum froze when she playfully ruffled his head and placed a chaste kiss on his forehead.

"How about I consider it?" she said sweetly, slowly guiding the flushed child towards the door. "After I recalculate our expenses and other finances, perhaps I will reconsider and give you two a raise. Okay?"

Dum was entirely speechless, his face slowly becoming even redder than his uniform. He barely noticed that the Hatter financer had shown him the door and shut it right in his face.

…or realize that he got tricked into shutting his mouth. Dum suddenly realized that he and his brother weren't the only ones who had the propensity in utilizing blatant manipulation.

"HEY, WAIT! I'm not through with you yet! You won't do anything, you heartless shrew! Open the door now!" Dum shouted, struggling to open the locked door.

"Good day, Dum!" she shouted cheerily and resumed back on her work. She mumbled under her breath, "Just being cute isn't enough to change my mind..."

No matter how cute Dum could be, she far more preferred the satisfaction of beating him in his own game. No one dares mess with this financer – not even him.

* * *

Sequel to Repetition in Wonders of the Heart. :3

Gotta love speedy updates. I'll miss 'em personally. Just don't mind me, trying to make up for some lost time and time I will lose in the future~

Thanks for reading.


	6. o6 Vow

**{.o6} {Vow :****ღ****: Pierce Villiers}**

It was a rather well-known fact that she absolutely couldn't stand the dormouse. It wasn't like she even kept it a secret either. Every faceless employee, possibly even the Amusement Park role holders themselves, were aware that she found Pierce Villiers simply annoying.

That was why she couldn't possibly understand why she of all people was given the task of consoling Pierce.

Was Gowland insane? She understood that having a hysterical dormouse was not very productive, but really? Giving her such a troublesome task?

If she didn't need this job, she would honestly consider lashing out at her tone-deaf employer and giving him a piece of her mind.

'_Really? Why can't the mouse just man up already?_' she thought irately as she neared his room, his cries slowly becoming more coherent. '_I__f he wasn't such a little chicken and went hysterical every time Boris scares him, we wouldn't even be having this problem._'

She breathed in a copious amount of air when she found herself right before Pierce's door, calming the growing annoyance in her raging heart.

She slowly opened the door… to find herself immediately suffocated in Pierce's death grip. "WAH! Save me!"

"Rat, let me go! I can't breathe!" she cried, fighting to get the wailing mouse off of her.

He then promptly released her, regarding her annoyed countenance with curious, watery green eyes. He then released a squeak of happiness and hugged her. "Oh! I'm so glad you of all people came! I'm saved!"

"Pierce, let me go now before someone gets hurt!" Even at the sound of her threat, Pierce clung onto her as if his very life depended on it. She exhaled a sharp breath and said as calmly as she possibly could, "Since you seem fine now, maybe you can let me go so I can go back to work. I'm very busy."

At the very suggestion, the dormouse's grip on her grew tighter. "No! You can't leave me now! I need you to stay with me and protect me!"

She argued the opposite. "No, you don't. I'm not paid to babysit you. I have work to do."

"B… but I thought you loved me."

The faceless girl fought a furious flush of her cheeks as she indignantly shouted, "W… _**What?**_ How in the world did you come up with such an absurd notion?"

"Well… you gave me some of your cheese! That is always an expression of love!"

She barely resisted the urge to smack the mouse. "If I recall correctly, you simply took my cheese in the most irritating way possible and declared that you loved me."

He innocently proclaimed, "But, I do love you."

Feeling a warmth creep up her neck, the employee managed to liberate herself from his embrace and crossed her arms over her chest. "Look, I'll stay only for a few more moments only because I'm craving coffee. Want some?"

Seeing Pierce nod his head, the faceless girl promptly turned on her heels and darted off.

Her pace through the hall was furious and even she found herself still fuming as she brewed the coffee.

"Stupid dormouse," she grumbled irately, glaring at the two piping cups. "Bringing up even stupider things like that…"

"Ah, so you're the one on Pierce duty." The Amusement Park employee jumped at the sound of another voice, turning around to meet a certain feline's golden stare.

"Oh, Boris, please don't remind me. I'm irritated as it is, and I would appreciate if you didn't irritate me even further," she growled.

The Cheshire Cat only grinned. "Ah, so taking care of the baby is as interesting as I thought it would be. You know, I personally think it's just a trick. The mousy baby is using some lame excuse just to be with you. He does seem rather fond of you anyway."

"He's like that with everyone… with the exception of you, of course. He seems to love everyone if they let him," she said in a low voice before adding fiercely, "Besides, Pierce isn't always a baby. He can be brave when he wants to be… though those occasions are very rare..."

The girl stopped herself from saying any further, surprised at what was coming out of her mouth. What in the world was she doing? She couldn't be possibly… defending the rat? Such a notion disturbed her.

Boris regarded her with shock before grinning even wider. "Huh… that's what you think, eh? It seems maybe I should prove you otherwise." Before she could even react, she found herself pinned against the wall, Boris's hands firmly held on her wrists like manacles. She felt trapped. "Well I surely have to knock some sense into you if you think that rat is a man. I can surely show you otherwise…"

Her breath was suddenly caught in her throat. She shut her eyes closed, waiting for the cat to lean forward and close the distance between them.

Gratefully, she felt nothing. Was he just joking? She knew that feline was a joker, but if he dared frightening her in such a deplorable manner…

She jumped and snapped her eyes open when she noticed Boris suddenly released her and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

And who did she see standing before her?

"P… Pierce?" If she had lids, she certainly would have blinked them.

"G… get off of her!" Pierce cried in a shaky voice, his breath coming out in erratic bursts.

Lying on the floor, Boris gently massaged his face and tried processing what exactly happened. The faceless girl could not believe it. '_Did that crybaby rat actually punch Boris?_'

"You damn rodent… Rat, how dare you punch me! What the hell was that for?" he growled furiously. He slowly rose to his feet, his golden orbs narrowed, making him appear ominous and threatening.

The red-haired Villiers squeaked once, but attempted to retain his resolve and appear strong. "I… I told you t… that I didn't like you on her like that."

"Oh yeah, you stupid rat? You know what I don't like? Getting punched in the face!" He furiously stalked towards him, glaring daggers at the mouse. "Oh, wait until I get my hands on you…"

"I think you've done quite enough." Boris suddenly was pulled back by his shirt and slowly dragged away from them.

"Let me go, old man! The rat punched me! He deserves to die! It wasn't like I actually meant to do anything anyway!"

"And you deserve to be put back to work for harassing my employees," Gowland chastised him, meeting his golden glare with his green leer. "You know I get rather upset when you prevent my workers from doing their job and you from doing yours, you lazy feline. I don't care if you meant it or not."

Watching Gowland drag the infuriated cat away, the employee released a relieved breath of air.

"Wow, dormouse, I have to say thanks for what you did for me. I never knew that you actually had it…"

She then began to notice the Villiers was shaking, progressively more violently as more time passed. His face seemed as white as a sheet of paper. "S… **scary**…"

"Pierce?"

"S… so… sc… scary." The young employee squeaked in surprise when she felt a pair of shaking arms wrap themselves around her person. "Wah! Boris is so scary!"

"Mouse, if you're just going to whine about it and make me regret thanking you, then why in the world did you do it?" she asked him bluntly.

She felt herself tense when he raised his big, green eyes towards her, "It's because I love you! I took this solemn vow to protect you no matter how scary things get… even from scary, mean cats like Boris."

Seeing that innocence in his face, the fiery resolve in his eyes, she couldn't help, but smile.

'_Maybe… he's not so annoying after all._'

At the moment, she found herself touched in a place she never thought possible. Her clock heart actually felt warm and skipped a beat.

Then she just couldn't help herself. She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

* * *

YEAH! GO PIERCE! xD

Sequel to Love from Wonders of the Heart.

Thanks for reading~


	7. o7 Bliss

**{.o7} {Bliss :****ღ****: Vivaldi x King}**

Everything was almost perfect. The servants had almost finished cleaning the place up until its spotlessly clean. Almost all of the ball's decorations were hanged. Even the issue of the flowers was properly rectified. How so quickly? At the moment, she just did not care as long as they were red and not that ghastly shade of white.

All she cared at the moment were the ballroom walls.

'…_ugh, did We truly choose such a boring color?_' She couldn't have possibly chosen it herself. It was so drab. Though she did rather tolerate the pink color, seeing it on her walls made it look so washed-out and dull in her opinion.

'_And We have no time to order Our servants to get it all painted over and changed before the ball._' She plopped herself down onto the nearest chair and began to roughly massage her throbbing temples. '_Why must ball detail be so stressful?_'

Vivaldi hated planning the ball. Simply and utterly despised it ever since she first became the Queen of Hearts. It was such a taxing event to properly plan prepare for. It always drained her mentally and physically. She just couldn't wait for it to be done and over with.

It certainly didn't help she had to deal with other stressful annoyances on her mind. It irritated her to no end to have heard her favorite and oldest stuffed bear went missing for some time. What irritated most of all? When she did find the bear, she noticed its head was ripped off!

'_What was that? Was it some sort of sick joke? Beheading people is __**Our**__ job!_' She swore if she ever found the perpetrator, Vivaldi would make sure that person lost their head. Personally.

'_It was probably Peter, that stupid rabbit,_' she scowled mentally, glaring out into the distance. Though she honestly had no prove, she had some strange feeling it was him. He probably wanted to enact some revenge for how she treated him earlier. Really? Must he steal something so valuable because she so happened to be shooting holes into miniature, stuffed rabbits?

She then lost all will to be angry and released a tired breath. Why must it have been _that_ bear? It was the one she brought with her from when she was taken from her home, from her life as a simple faceless girl…

'_Ugh, We do not wallow in the past,_' she told herself. All that mattered was the present. Now she was the Queen of Hearts. She does not ponder the past nor worry over a silly little bear. That was not what queens do.

'_But still..._' She returned her attention to her surroundings and released a low breath of disgust. '_How these walls give Us a headache…_'

"Vivaldi?" She slowly turned her tired head, her narrowed, violet eyes locking onto the sudden appearance of the King of Hearts.

She only found herself exponentially more irritated to see his cheery countenance, the bright look on his face. "Why are you here? Why don't you just leave? Your merry disposition is giving Us a terrible headache."

"Ah, you don't mean that!" the king said in a decibel that hurt her ears.

"No. We do. **You're annoying Us.**" She felt a nerve pulse against her temples when she heard the King laugh at her.

"You're just being a little cranky because you're stressed out about ball detail… as well as your little bear." Vivaldi tensed at the very mentioning of her beloved stuffed animal, but kept her countenance calm and cool. "It's such a shame that something from your childhood was so mutilated in such a manner. I do seem to recall you were rather attached to it." He then paused for a considerable moment, examining her impassive expression for a single moment. "And… that's why, I did this for you."

Just as she was going to ask what he was talking about, she found herself rendered completely speechless when she stared straight at such a familiar plush object staring straight at her.

She couldn't help herself. She released a jubilant squeal as she took the animal in her arms.

"Oh! It's Our bear! It's fixed!" As she continued to cuddle the animal her arms, she then became acutely aware of who was standing before her and of her current location. She quickly rectified her current, frazzled state and recomposed her to her usual regal self. She cleared her throat. "Thank you. We truly appreciate that you've done this for Us… again. You did not have to do this. We would have made one of the servants to fix it for Us."

The kind smiled even wider. "Oh, I know. I simply wanted to. I certainly would be upset if something I cared for was broken. Besides, you seemed even more stressed than usual. Consider it your reward for completing preparations for what will be another fantastic ball."

Vivaldi felt something in her heart beat a little faster, utterly touched by something so sweet. She, of course, did not allow such an emotion to reach her face. She merely nodded her head in thanks.

"Well, I better get going. I still have a lot of work to do." The king patted her on the shoulder before exiting out the room. "Take care! Please don't work too hard!"

Vivaldi simply watched the king leave her midst, leaving her alone with her thoughts and these strange feelings whirling in her ticking heart.

She then glanced down to the floor.

She was the Queen of Hearts – first and foremost. She shouldn't be feeling like this or care that he did something so trivial for her… but she did.

'_Maybe he really cares about Us…_'

She buried her face into the bear, and for a moment allowed herself to feel and be overwhelmed by this sensation of ephemeral bliss.

* * *

Vivaldi x King are just so adorable in my opinion. :3 Kinda sequel-ish to my oneshot For Your Smile.

I just decided to post this since I was on a roll with the double updates... and sadly this may be the last one in quite awhile. ^^;;

Thanks for the read~


	8. o8 Home

**{.o8} {Home :****ღ****: Gray Ringmarc}**

She completely and utterly hated Nightmare. She characterized him in a way quite different from her friends and coworkers. Rather than the almighty caterpillar or a spineless worm, she thought of him as more of a lazy, good-for-nothing _**slug**_.

Of course, Nightmare knew of her detest for working under him and all the words that crossed her mind.

Perhaps that was the reason why he punished her so brutally that fateful day.

The female woman collapsed her head down onto the desk, tiredly cursing the worm for giving her such an absurd amount of work. She had been working non-stop in an effort to get this all done.

No matter how hard or long she tried to get through this massive mound of paperwork, she dismally noted she was not even half way through it.

She resisted the impulsive urge to slam her head onto the desk as she glanced towards the desk beside her, scrutinizing her dark-haired coworker with tired, heavy eyes.

'_How does that Ringmarc do it?_' She could barely comprehend how Gray fed up with such an inordinate amount of work every single day and how he was able to finish it so quickly without a single complaint. She always admired his hardworking attitude, though she tended to hide it as annoyance over his almost submissive behavior. '_And here I am complaining about all this work when he has to deal with it everyday..._' she thought, feeling her self-esteem shrink at the thought.

Gray deserved far better than catering to that slug's whims. She wished that Nightmare appreciated the lizard more and just gave him a break once in awhile.

"Are you alright over there?" The girl soon snapped out of her musings and realized that Gray was staring right back at her, his golden orbs locked onto her absent gaze. "You look a little tired. Do you want a break? I can surely do some of your work if you'd like to rest."

She stubbornly shook her head. "No, I still have so much to go through. I don't want to trouble you since you seem so busy already. I'll be just-" Soon she was cut off by a loud yawn. She suddenly felt conscious of how heavy her body felt, how tired she felt.

The Clover subordinate sighed, thinking she couldn't stop and rest just yet... no matter how her body begged her otherwise.

Suddenly she heard the shuffle of furniture, the low patter of footsteps. She languidly turned her head to see Gray had moved his chair beside her.

"It's no trouble at all. After all, this is your home as well. You are entitled to take a break once in awhile."

The young girl looked at the man in momentary awe and smiled gently. "Gee - _yawn_ - thanks, Gray... What will I ever do without you..."

"It's not a big deal. There's no need to thank me. It's just..." He blinked in surprise. His words died at his lips. In a matter of moments, he noticed the girl had fallen fast asleep.

Gray chucked at the sight and gently rubbed her tired head. With a smile, he whispered, "Good night... Sweet dreams."

_Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action. ~Mother Theresea_

* * *

Yay! A Gray drabble! So cute~

Thanks for reading~


	9. o9 Memories

**{.o9} {Memories:**** ღ****: Tweedle Dee}**

The maid fairly tolerated her co-workers. Most of the other faceless servants were fairly industrious and presented no real problems. She held similar feelings for the role holders. Elliot was very loyal and dependable, and she absolutely adored the twins. Despite their sadistic tendencies, she thought of them as such adorable children! Who wouldn't think such a thing about them?

But when they were in their adult form... oh lord have mercy.

The maid shivered as she recalled her time with Dee when he was separated from his brother on that one rare occaision... blood burnt her very cheeks as she tried to focus her mind on her cleaning duties.

She grimaced when she realize that was completely impossible. She couldn't possibly be able to erase their time together from her mind. It was as if they were engraved into her head, dominating all thoughts coursing through her mind. Even the scars weren't even fully healed. It made her feel even worse that she even volunteered the clean the Tweedle's room. Was she truly that masochistic?

'_The chances of seeing Dee are very low,_' she assured herself. '_He's probably with Dum right now..._'

That is... if Dum wasn't busy arguing with that financer about the twin's salary.

She honestly envied that woman's resolve and general personality. She was one that could not be easily swayed; in fact, the faceless regarded the woman as having great skill in persuasion.

If she had to choose one aspect of her that she undoubtedly envied?

It was the business woman's immunity to the twins - regardless of their age and form. She was the only woman who was able to withstand both forms with relative ease (if she was susceptible to their charms, then the girl commended the business woman for hiding it very well).

The young maid wished she was able to develop such an immunity... especially around Dee. It would have certainly have helped her in moments such as these.

"Whatcha doin'?" The faceless girl froze in her sweeping duties and slowly turned around, meeting a pair of cerulean.

She felt her clock heart tick at an incredible pace as she merely stared, surprised by Dee's sudden appearance - in his adult form of all things.

She snapped herself out of her staring to lamely reply, "C... Cleaning the rooms. What are you doing here? Where's your brother?"

"Dum seems even more adamant on convincing that finance lady to listen to him. Apparently, he's sore about her tricking him, and he wants revenge or something." A devlish smile curled at his lips. "I guess that's alright, but it just leaves me with so much free time." His hand suddenly captured hers, bring it up so he could place a velvety kiss. "And you have no idea how happy I am to see you. We could have loads of fun like the last time... You do remember, right?"

She swallowed hard, desperately trying to cling to her wavering resolve, her sensibilities. They all simply seemed to evaporate from her mind as a warmth erupted underneath her skin, a shudder of anticipation ripping through her.

"So, maid..."

She remained perfectly still, her nonexistant eyes locking onto his hooded blue eyes than to his perfectly shaped lips, watching as he leaned forward in pace that was tortuously slow. She knew this was her last chance. She should stop him, push him away while she held a remnant of sense.

Sadly, her mind could not possibly think clearly. Her body seemed to call out to him, pleaded for him in ways she never yearned for such a man. To her misfortune, she was nothing like the Hatter's finance woman.

"Would you like to make a new memory?"

Then it was all too late. This visceral need swallowed her logic into a haze of lust and passion when he captured her lips.

* * *

Another sequel to Wonders of the Heart: the Company drabble.

Thanks for reading!


	10. 1o Pleasure

**{.1o} {Pleasure :**** ღ****: Card Soldier #5}**

That day was simply horrendous. Really, she had never felt so... _**bored**_.

Vivaldi had not assigned them that much work that day, busying herself in Alice's company. Most of her faceless friends were too busy with some other duty. One maid was assisting Peter White with his skills in dance. Her other maid friend was out, probably struggling to guide the absentminded Ace back to the castle.

At the moment, she had absolutely no one.

'_Well there was always him..._'

Her heart ticked painfully at the very thought of card solider number five. She just couldn't bear being near him that day, at that very moment of time.

'_He's probably with the foreigner,_' she thought bitterly to herself, shuffling her feet through the hallways in a pace similar to that of a depressed slug. She resisted a violent quiver at the very notion, dropping her eyeless gaze to the castle floors.

The pain of the memory was still all too fresh in her mind, her heart still aching and raw.

She thought she could get over it a lot quicker. She already knew he was besotted by the Liddell, taken by the luminous radiance that surrounded Alice's very presence.

She just never expected her heart would still ache to see it unfold right before her, to see he would truly choose Alice over her.

She sniffled once, thankful that she did not have eyes. It certainly would have been horrible if she broke down in the hallway in tears.

'_Just a few more time cycles... That's all I need..._'

Just a few more time cycles, and she hoped the broken gears of her heart would mend themselves back together.

No matter how hard she tried to avoid him, no matter how she truly worked to keep her distance, fate had decided to play the cruelest of tricks on her.

"Hey! There you are!" The faceless maid froze in her place, finding herself momentarily breathless. She recognized that voice perfectly, her heart ticking a little faster. She slowly turned around... and cursed mentally.

"Oh... hi there," she said, trying to feign a cheery disposition... but feeling that she was failing pitifully.

Apparently, the card soldier did not seem to notice and said, "You know. It's really weird. It feels like I haven't seen you in such a long time! Been busy?"

"Uh, yeah. You know, its nothing but work, work, work when it comes to that slave driver of a queen," she fibbed and added, "But what are you doing here? I would have thought you were with Alice. She is visiting, you know"

To her surprise, the card soldier released a burst of laughter. "Why would I do that, silly? I haven't spent time with you in what feels like forever! Now that we both have some free time, I might as well enjoy the pleasure of your company." He offered her his arm. "Now, you ready to go?"

The faceless girl merely stared at the gesture, feeling a warmth rush through her chest and touch her cheeks. She couldn't believe it.

'_He's choosing me over her..._'

She smiled at the thought and accepted his arm, commencing to walk through the halls.

All the while, she tried to surpress the thought, her sheer euphoria over having his attention and companionship. She knew it was just a friendly, innocent act. Such happiness would only cause her more pain in the long run.

'_But there's no harm in indulging the thought?_' There was no harm in pretending that he truly cared for her in the same way she cared for him, right?

A little indulgence was fine once in awhile. Everyone needs a little pleasure, no matter how fleeting.

* * *

Sequel to the Wonderful drabble. You all can probably guess where it comes from.

Thanks for the read!


	11. 11 Grace

**{.11} {Grace :****ღ****: King x Vivaldi}**

The king was always rendered in such awe when the ball arrived. Vivaldi always prepared a splendid job, no matter how much she may despise the agonizing ordeal.

The Queen of Hearts simply _hated_ ball preparations, that he knew. She always complained it was waste of her royal time and was far too much work. She still performed her duties because she refused to have him, god forbid, do any of the planning. She wouldn't allow his antiquated tastes sully her ball and her good name.

The king could still recall another reason why the raven-haired queen was she hated planning for the ball.

Watching the faceless servants of all three territories twirl around the floor, he could remember when the child Vivaldi was simply terrified of doing one thing - dancing.

{:ღ:}

The maids were complaining about their child mistress's obstinacy. No matter how hard they tried, they could not get the girl out of her room.

The king at first shrugged their complaints off, believing they would get the girl out eventually. He Vivaldi understood it was her special duty as the Queen of Hearts to supervise preparations for the ball. She simply had to do it whether she truly wanted to or not.

As time progressed and the time of the ball grew nearer, the king began to feel nervous. He lacked the creativity to design a genuinely good ball. It would shame him if the other role holders had to see his laughable excuse for the ball.

He _needed_ her.

The King of Hearts then headed towards her quarters and knocked on her door. "Vivaldi?"

"Go away! We do not wish to see anyone!" the young girl's voice shouted.

"Vivaldi, it's me. Are you sure it's not okay for me to enter?"

There was no response. All remained in impeccable silence. Taking her lack of response as consent, the king opened the door and entered the young majesty's quarters.

To his surprise, the young royal was nowhere to be seen. All he saw was this little lump huddled underneath the thick comforter.

He quietly treaded towards the little lump and sat down beside her. "Vivaldi?"

The raven-haired girl shouted vehemently, "Go away!"

"My dear, could you please get out of blanket? I'd like to speak to you face to face."

Again, there was that prolonged silence. He sighed at the thought, realizing this time her silence wasn't consent. It was more like adamant protest.

"You really should get to preparing for the ball. The servants have been doing their best, but they require a definite vision of what the night is going to be. Can you please...?"

"There's no way We're going to have anything to do with that ball!" she suddenly shouted firmly. Such a sudden proclamation baffled him, leaving him unable to speak any further. Vivaldi then added, "Balls are so annoying, and I don't want to deal with it! Those stupid people flouncing and dancing about... so stupid..."

The King suddenly was struck by a sense of realization. "Is the reason why you want nothing to do with the ball is because of the dancing?" Silence. "... is it because you don't know how to dance?"

Silence settled over the room.

"There's no way I'm going to make a fool out of myself... That's why I won't have that ball. It's all dancing. I'll look silly..." she mumbled, her voice barely audible.

"Well, if that's all, then this all could easily be resolved! I'll teach you how to dance!" Embracing such a thought, the king leapt to his feet, stood in the open space, and said, "Perhaps once you learn to dance and practice then you won't feel any shame at the ball! It's not very hard. Will you please come out?"

There was a slight shudder of hesitancy before falling still. He watched in expectation as the blanket wiggled and moved, slowly expelling a small round head.

"C... Can you really teach me how to dance?" she squeaked out, her violet eyes hopeful and bright.

The king nodded his head. "Of course! It's all very simple. Can you come out here?"

The little girl watched as the king extended his hand out to her. She merely stared at the gesture, unsure what to do.

Then finally she lurched forward, revealing a pair of shoulders, arms and soon her whole body. She gradually reached her hand out before finally grabbing hold of his.

Smiling, he gently guided her towards him and began his lesson.

{:ღ:}

The king found himself smiling affectionately at the memory. When they began to practice, Vivaldi was so clumsy and awkward. It probably embarrassed her to be so close to him - probably near any man, he assumed. That certainly didn't lessen the pain he felt on his legs and feet.

Now? He certainly saw no one quite like that. She was the complete opposite of klutzy or awkward.

He looked beside him and regarded the Queen of Hearts. It never ceased to amaze him how she grew up to be so regal and grandiloquent, carrying herself with such grace and poise. Vivaldi sure grew up to quite the lovely woman.

"Ugh... This is all so troublesome. We don't even truly enjoy these balls." Suddenly hearing her voice, snapped him out of his deep reverie. He turned his head, watching as the noblewoman relaxed in her place as the festivities officially took off. "It's all so very boring watching all these silly people dance the entire night away... almost idiotic really."

He resisted the urge to laugh at such a comment. '_It's good to know some things don't change..._'

Perhaps it was this sense of nostalgia, this sense of reminiscence, but he just couldn't help himself.

He found himself asking, "Vivaldi, would you care to dance?"

Such an abrupt inquiry surprised her. Her expression was blank, staring at him with astonishment in her amethyst eyes. All she could utter was a glib, "What?"

"I know it's all very strange and out of the blue. We don't dance with each other very often during these events, but I just thought it would be nice," he commiserated almost lamely, unable to provide a more reasonable explanation. "After all, I was the one who taught you long ago. I'd like to see how much you've improved. I hope you're not as klutzy as you were when you first started!"

"Tch. We are now are a far better dancer than We were in Our clumsier days!" she said defensively.

Her eyes suddenly widened when he offered her a gentlemanly hand. "Why not show me then?"

Vivaldi merely stared at his offer, her long lashes fluttering in surprise. For a moment, she merely stared, unsure what exactly she should do. In those fleeting moments of indecision, he thought he saw a shock of red coloring her pale cheeks.

Just as quickly it came, it had went as Vivaldi proudly harrumphed, primly placing her lithe hand into his.

He then placed his other hand on her waist; her hand fell gently against his shoulder.

Soon, they began to dance.

* * *

A sequel to my sequel (trequel, lol?) of For Your Smile. I guess it can kinda be one for Reminiscence as well if you squint really hard.

I actually found it sitting in my folder, asking me why the heck I haven't published it yet? …I honestly didn't know so I just put it out now. Heh, heh… :3

Thanks for the read!


	12. 12 Belief

**{.12} {Belief :****ღ****: Nightmare Gottschalk}**

Being the leader of your own territory certainly had its perks. Technically, he did not have to do a single thing. He could easily shrug it off and make his vast array of subordinates do his work for him. All he truly had to do was sign off on important paperwork, and he was done.

Having subordinates to do his duties certainly did have its cons to balance out its pros. Two of his subordinates proved that fact painfully true.

Gray Ringmarc never ceased bothering him to take his responsibilities more seriously and to - _shudder_ - take his medication.

Then there was even one that brought even more pain to his skull, one that caused him more suffering than Gray ever could.

"**SLUG!**" Nightmare Gottschalk halted in his place, debating mentally if he should continue walking or face the hellish source of the voice.

Unfortunately he was not given the chance to choose. A figure suddenly appeared in his path, her features tight and pursed in irritation.

His brow twitched slightly as he attempted to keep his features composed. Speaking of the devil, there she was, standing before him in all her irritating glory. His _other_ subordinate.

"Ah, what a pleasant surprise to see you. What brings you here? Is there something you'd like to ask me?" the Clover Leader said, his voice even and calm.

The woman did not reciprocate such placidity. His composure only caused her to bristle in irritation. She spat out, "Oh, I think you know why I'm here, slug! You're a mind reader after all!"

"But with all due respect, you have been getting better at concealing your thoughts. It is getting to the point that cannot read your mind anymore than I can read Gray's. Why not simply tell me?"

Nightmare inwardly laughed. His words were mere formalities. It did not take a mind reader to know why she sought him out. It was the exact same thing every time.

His female subordinate shouted out vehemently, "Stop giving so much work! It's driving me crazy!"

The Gottschalk released a sigh at her predictability and crossed his arms over his chest.

That was all she ever talked about when they were near each other - about the supposedly ridiculous workload he piles onto her. Good subordinates were not supposed to complain as much as she does. Good subordinates were supposed to accept their duties and just, well... do it.

Nightmare informed the young woman of such facts frequently, but it had only made her even more upset. The Clover Leader learned it was best to allow her to rant and rave as much as she pleased until she finally got tired and left him alone. Her behavior was always very predictable.

"We cater to your every freaking whim and that is how you repay us? More work? Do you have any sense of gratitude?"

Nightmare shrugged his shoulders, more to assure her that he was paying some attention than giving an actual response.

"It's plain ungrateful! You have no regard for how much or how hard a person works, doing it all without a single complaint. It sickens me."

Nightmare closed his eye and absently nodded her head. She's as predictable as ever. Right now she should be just about done, readying herself for her last, angry cry.

"So why don't you just give Gray a break once in awhile and stop giving him so much work?"

"Yes, why _don't_ I just give Gra...?" Nightmare faltered. His eye flew open, surprised by such an abrupt statement. Did he hear her correctly?

He released a surprised exhalation, gawked at her, and released a confused, "What?"

His subordinate flushed at his reaction and struggled to regain her poise. She said firmly, "Y... Yeah! You heard me! Why don't you giver Gray a break once in awhile? He always works so hard, and he doesn't complain about having a lazy slug of a boss as much as I do... If anyone deserves a break, it's him."

Nightmare wasn't sure how to respond to such a statement. All he could do was stare.

"S... So? What do you have to say about that?"

He was rendered completely speechless. Why in the world would she ask Nightmare such a thing? She never asked before, and such abruptness caught him completely off guard. Studying the pink flush on here cheeks, he was struck by a sudden realization. Now, this was unpredictable.

"Do you by any chance... have feelings for Gray?"

The woman tensed, her face flaring into a bright scarlet.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? All I feel for Gray is mutual respect!" she shouted. "Gray is a genuinely good guy, and I owe him a favor. That's the reason why I'm asking you. Nothing more and nothing less."

He only nodded his head, unsure if he completely accepted her answer. He once believed she was such a simple, predictable creature. Now, he wasn't so sure what to believe.

Then there was a moment. It was fleeting and transient, and he would have completely disregarded it if he wasn't paying attention.

She was so flustered by his words that the mental defenses she worked so hard to build up were momentarily broken down, allowing him the opportunity to peer into her thoughts.

His eyes widened. '_Yes... Unpredictable indeed._'

Suddenly, he was besieged by a violent cough, ripping through his chest and exploding out of his mouth.

Alarmed, she raced towards his side. She growled, "Stupid slug! If you only take your medicine like you're supposed to, you wouldn't be coughing your lungs out!"

The Clover Leader wiped stray droplets of blood from his mouth, annoying his female subordinate even further.

"Well if you are finished scolding me about my work ethic and health, perhaps you can help me get to my room to change? It seems that I sullied my clothing yet again. It's quite unbecoming of a man of my status to appear like this."

"Man of your status my ass... It would be more 'becoming' if you just took your freakin' medicine so we don't have to worry about you dropping dead..." she grumbled, placing his arm around her shoulders and helping him walk through the halls.

Nightmare glanced over to her and her pouty expression and resisted the urge to smile.

Despite this turbulent, unpredictable day, Nightmare was able to come up with a single belief, a truth that never changed. She was always such a softy at heart. Even though his subordinate acts tough and is very loud, she always dropped whatever she was doing or raving about to take care of him.

As long as she cared for him, he would be fine.

"You know... perhaps you're right. I will take your advice and give Gray a proper day off." Her face suddenly lit up, pleasantly surprised to hear that her words had made an impact.

Her face brightened. "Really?"

Nightmare nodded his head. "Of course. Since you apparently have time to antagonize your sickly leader, perhaps I should relegate his tasks to you."

She abruptly skidded to a halt. Her face exploded into an angry crimson.

_**"What?"**_

A/N Notes: Can be seen a sequel to both _Home_ from this series and _Caring_ from Wonders of the Heart.

I wrote this piece a long time ago and never had a chance to update it. Shame on me.

Now, that I have more free time, I hope to attack all sorts of different plot bunnies (as well as actually work on my stories *cough*)


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